The Algarve’s Social Democrat party wants to revive the political debate on turning the region into a self-governing zone.
The discussion took place at the party’s district assembly held in Loulé last week and the proposal is set to be taken up at the 36th PSD national congress in early April.
The proposal is to "re-launch the plan in a national political debate on the regionalisation of Portugal."
According to the PSD in the Algarve, this subject is the last major structural reform provided for in the Constitution of 1976 "which has yet to be realised."
The Algarve PSD party members have concluded that after the recent financial adjustment programme, which has been the most demanding in Portugal’s recent history, the deepening of structural reforms already undertaken by the PSD will only be possible "through the implementation of this reform" i.e. the regionalisation process.
"Nothing makes more sense than the PSD leads this discussion and put regionalisation back on the political agenda," said a party spokesman.
The proposal, drafted by the District Political Committee of the PSD, includes details that are necessary for the realisation of the plan, such as a timeframe and the actual model to be used for turning the Algarve into a autonomous region; the duties and powers of the region; and its financing and control, among other requirements.
These issues "must be clearly outlined in the proposed regionalisation plan that the PSD will present to the Portuguese at the next election," said the PSD-Algarve, which wants to get a "broad agreement" with other political forces.
At the same meeting, a proposal was approved for the Ria Formosa islands which supported the handing over of the Farol and Hangares communities to Faro council to enable the council to "administer those territories in the best interest of the people" as already is the case for the island of Armona which is managed by Olhão council.
Comments
The turn around in attitudes to the motorway tolls and the demolitions in the Ria Formosa shows that António Costa is just as bad and untruthful a leader as Peter Rabbit before him.
We are no better off for a change in government; it is merely a question of different bums on seats.